The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) appreciates the visit paid by the Human Rights Commission at Tembisa Hospital yesterday following the death of 10 babies, and especially that it also found that shortage of staff, in addition to overcrowding, was a contributory factor to the death of the babies.

DENOSA has long cited shortage of staff and overcrowding in the country’s health facilities as a serious problem that needs urgent attention. We encourage the Commission, as well as provincial portfolio committees on health to do the same in various facilities where they are likely to find that the issue of staff shortage is a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode.

While each year each province funds student nurses for their nursing studies, many provincial departments of health do not employ those who have completed their course or those who have finished their year of community service, which leaves the gap of shortage very wide.

Unfortunately, this poor planning leads to deaths of poor patients who rely on these understaffed facilities.

End

Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)

For more information, contact:

Cassim Lekhoathi, DENOSA Acting General Secretary

Mobile: 082 328 9671

Simon Hlungwani, DENOSA President

Mobile: 082 328 9635

Tel: 012 343 2315